The sun was setting and everything was aglow as the twilight of another day was retreating
into the dark. Minus the fact that I was stuck in traffic after a long day on the road,
the remaining echo of light would have offered a time of reflection or contentment. In my
case, the reflection that caught my eye was the glow of HID lights and low-mounted fogs.
What can I say, I'm a car guy.

The source of those lights soon drew past me on the right and I was looking at the side
profile of an all-black 2010 Nissan Maxima SV sport which looked as though it had come
straight from the detailers. The reflection of light off the black paint, tinted windows
and chrome trim almost made me envious of the owner. I say "almost" simply because I
was in my own sport sedan that is built by the same companies Infiniti division.
Regardless, my eyes were drawn to the look and styling of the newest rendition of the
Maxima each time we jockeyed past each other in traffic. The shape, its aggressive look,
even the unique LED tail lights all lead to a car design in which I feel Nissan has hit
a home run with.

4DSC

For this new 7th-generation of the Maxima, Nissan has returned to their heritage and
proclaimed it a 4-Door Sports Car, a title initially given the 3rd-generation Maxima.
With 290hp, a sport suspension, 19" wheels and aggressive styling, it may be true that
Nissan has brought the sports car back into the Maxima. But, is something missing
the mark?

I had always liked the Nissan Maxima and fell in love with them in 2002 when I bought
a Maxima SE. 2002 was the first year Nissan released the Maxima using the VQ35DE which
was a staple of Nissan as it was the engine of choice for the 350z and the Infiniti
G-series as well. With 255hp, +28hp from the prior years Anniversary Edition, and a
6-speed manual transmission, or optional gated-shifted automatic, the 5.5-generation
Maxima was everything I wanted. To me, it was a 4-Door Sports Car even if Nissan didn't
label it as such. Then came the 6th-generation Maxima in 2004 and I was disappointed.
Sure, it still had the VQ motor (+10hp to 265), new dual exhaust, 6-speed manual
transmission option, and an upgraded 5-speed automatic, but the body had changed to
something my Grandfather would have driven. Big and bloated is my opinion of the
2004-2008 Maxima and it seemed to me that Nissan was targeting a different audience
and moving the Altima into the segment that was once dominated by the Maxima. I was
not pleased. The final version of the 6th-generation Maxima had power lowered back to
255hp and the automatic transmission had been changed to a CVT (Continuously Variable
Transmission). I was shaking my head.

When Nissan released the first pictures of the 2009 Nissan Maxima, my initial response
was "Huh?". It was edgy. It was different. I liked it, but really had to see one in
person to think "Wow, that's nice!". The more I see it, the more I like what Nissan
has built and I think Nissan is on the right track to bring back their flagship
4-door sport sedan. The specs of this new vehicle are impressive as well and Nissan
has squeezed 290hp out of the 3.5 liter V6 which is Infiniti G35 territory. Nissan
has also upgraded the interior to have almost as many conveniences and gadgets as the
up-scale Infiniti sedans. Styling, power, comfort; all hits in my book. But, is
the new Maxima deserving enough to wear the 4DSC badge with honor?

Yes and No

Nissan has chosen to release the new Maxima with a single transmission, the CVT, and
some Maxima enthusiasts feel the Maxima will never achieve being a 4-Door Sports Car
with a transmission that does not shift. See, the CVT is a banded design in which
there is no real gear to be selected. Sure, Nissan has done a great job with the
CVT in that it is always in the proper power band and the driver can manually
"downshift" via the use of the gear selector or optional paddle shifters, but purists
feel they are missing something, namely, a clutch pedal. Thus, the call is out:
Where is the 6-speed (6MT) manual transmission option?

Nissan has a hit. Aggressive styling, great power, tons of conveniences. To the
masses, 4DSC is back. To some die-hard's, the Maxima is lacking without the simple
addition of a manual transmission. Nissan's stance may be "you can't please them
all" but there are some who are hoping Nissan hears the call and will offer this
beast of a machine with the final option to make it THE 4DSC of all time.